The present invention relates to a mechanical work system, more in particular to a mechanical work sampling system for operating articulated extensions in vehicular applications.
It is known that tracked vehicles can easily run within unstructured environments and overcome relatively tall obstacles. The ability of running over rough terrain and of overcoming steps is due to a plurality of factors, among which at least the track geometry and the vehicle's centre of gravity.
The high degree of mobility of tracked vehicles is particularly useful in the field of terrestrial robotics, wherein the ability of running over high steps or stair ramps is often a very important requirement.
At the same time, however, the tracked vehicle must typically carry sensors and actuators, the presence and position of which are defined for each particular case depending on the application or mission it is intended for.
This involves a certain degree of uncertainty as to the exact positioning of the centre of gravity of a tracked vehicle for terrestrial robotics applications. Rather than with reference to the tracked vehicle alone, said centre of gravity can only be calculated after having defined the whole set of sensors and actuators it must carry; however, if the actuators are mobile ones, or anyway if their operation causes any configuration changes, this may lead to non-negligible variations in the position of the vehicle's centre of gravity.
This uncertainty in the calculation of the centre of gravity of a tracked vehicle for terrestrial robotics applications is often a problem when overcoming some types of obstacles, which might jeopardize the stability of the vehicle or even, in the worst cases, cause the capsizing of the vehicle.
The above-mentioned problem has been partially solved in the field of the so-called unmanned vehicles; in this case, articulated extensions have been added to wheels and tracks. Although these mechanical extensions are devices that may allow variable control of the length of a vehicle in order to make the latter more stable and less prone to capsize when running over obstacles, they also increase the overall complexity of the entire mechatronic apparatus. Each extension, in fact, needs at least one additional actuator to control its elevation or extension, and at least one further actuator when the track of the extension is autonomously controlled by the main tracks of the vehicle.